Tech 8th, Lange 18th at C-USA golf championships
Louisiana Tech wrapped up Sunday's first day of the Conference USA Golf Championships in eighth place with a 5-over par finish.
The Bulldogs, led by Victor Lange's even-par round, are 17 shots off the pace of UAB, which leads the field at 12-under, and eight shots out of fourth-place Southern Miss at 3-under. The top four teams advance to the match play format to crown a champion.
Lange, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked golfer in C-USA, carded seven birdies, one behind UAB's Jason Roets who leads the field after shooting a 7-under-par 65. However, Lange had trouble with the other 11 holes with five bogeys and a double bogey to finish tied for 18th.
The junior had six birdies and three bogeys for a score of 3-under through the first 12 holes, but he double bogeyed the par-5 No. 13 and then bogeyed two of the next three holes to fall to 1-over. Lange bounced back with a birdie on the par-4, No. 17 to finish the round at even par.
Tech will start the second round Monday at 8 p.m. on the 10th hole with UTSA and Western Kentucky.
Tech's Ben Robinson, who entered with the second-highest scoring average on the team at 74, turned in four birdies on the back nine to finish at 1-over and a tie for 27th.
"It was an up and down day for us," Tech coach Jeff Jenkins said in a release. "Victor Lange and Ben Robinson had flashes of really good golf but a few mistakes here and there led to a few too many bogeys. At the end of the day if we just clean up our play a little bit we will be where we need to be."
Even with Robinson's strong finish, Tech struggled to close out the round as it finished a combined 5-over on the par-4, No. 18. Lange was the only Bulldog to par the hole.
The struggles on No. 18 were tough for Tech to swallow considering it shot 3-under on No. 17.
"I like how we fought all day long but we need to clean up the end of our round," Jenkins said. "We let a few shots go. But I like seeing the birdies. If we just clean up a few of our shots, we will be OK."
Jake Pritchard and Mitchell Haddox both finished at 4-over in a tie for 41st, while John Lewis Sams shot 5-over for 59th place.